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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24898468">We Could Be Royals</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/blackpercy/pseuds/blackpercy'>blackpercy</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Percy Jackson and the Olympians &amp; Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Die mad about it, F/M, Slow Burn, and she is intelligent, he's a former prince turned outlaw who's been threatening Olympus, in this house it is ALWAYS screw Luke Castellan hours, maybe in between 15 and 20 chapters, silena is a girly girl but she's strong, silena is black, so luke is the antagonist, the seven have cameos tbh, they dont play important roles</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 02:15:49</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,306</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24898468</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/blackpercy/pseuds/blackpercy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Silena Beauregard is the beloved princess of The Rose Kingdom. </p><p>Charles Beckendorf is the kingdom disgrace. </p><p>They never really liked each other, but tragedy strikes, and now they have to figure out how to do what their parents couldn’t.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Charles Beckendorf &amp; Percy Jackson, Silena Beauregard &amp; Clarisse la Rue, Silena Beauregard/Charles Beckendorf</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Silena</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hey dudes. I am Booboo The Fool so I started another long fic but I couldn't let anyone else do it so yea. Enjoy the first chapter in Silena's POV!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Perfect.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That was Silena Beauregard, Crown Princess of the Rose Kingdom of Olympus.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Whenever she rode outside in the royal carriage, that was the word that the crowds cheered, along with “beautiful” and “wonderful” when they caught a glimpse of her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was exhausting and it made her cheeks hot but there was a part of her that liked it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She loved The Rose Sector. The cream color that tinted the classical buildings, the quaint little pink-and-blue messenger hot air balloons that always seemed to be there. Silena loved the curved brown roads embossed with the royal emblem. The crown and a rose weaved through it. The princess spied a woman sending a messenger balloon outside one of the boutiques placed elegantly on each side of the road. The sweet scent of baked goods coated the air of the city.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This was her home.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Right now, the skies were glossed with coral and orange. The soft pink clouds swirled across the sky like candy floss at the carnaval. The welcomed light of the golden hour bathed Aurora City in a blessed glow, the very sight causing Silena to sigh.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She smiled to herself. She would rule this place one day. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She sat up straighter to get a glimpse of Phobos and Deimos, her brothers, and the ones driving this chariot.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Phobos, when will we arrive at the boutique?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her brother, captain of The Royal Guard,  rolled his eyes, “Silena, I already told you we’ll be there in ten minutes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is it absolutely necessary for you to buy a new dress, Silena?” Her other brother, Deimos, who was Aphrodite’s footman, called out. “It’s just a royal summit, and you practically own thousands of dresses.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Phobos gave a booming laugh and stuck his head out the window to smirk at his twin. “She could dress the entire kingdom!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Silena huffed and pushed a black braid out of her face. Her brothers still thought she was vain and immature, all these years.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>You wouldn’t guess that they were siblings at first sight. While Silena had jet black, coily hair, soft brown skin, and dimples, Phobos and Deimos had straight, russet brown hair, mischievous brown eyes, and wrinkles around their eyes from smiling too much.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I already told you both, I just need the tailor to repair this one. The bodice is torn and Mother said this was the best one to wear.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Silena valued her mother’s opinion terribly. She wanted Aphrodite to be proud of her and show her that she could be queen. That she made the right decision choosing her over her siblings to be Crown Princess. Even down to seemingly unimportant things, like a dress to wear to a summit, Silena wanted her mother’s opinion. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her brothers, ever the marauders, would tease her for this but Silena knew that every moment reviewing war plans with Aphrodite would come to fruition on the day of her coronation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They arrived at the boutique and Silena wanted to get out of the carriage herself but her brothers insisted on the mortifying ordeal of announcing her presence. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her cheeks heated up as she took her brother’s hand and gracefully descended from the steps. She wasn’t self-conscious about her appearance. What was embarrassing was the stares of awe from the onlookers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was human just like them, why did they have to cheer like she was a goddess? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>As Silena entered her boutique, she resisted the urge to run around and examine the silks, laces, all the </span>
  <em>
    <span>colors</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The snickers of her brothers behind her made her roll her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If you want to play dress-up, feel free, Silena.” Phobos taunted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Silena ignored him and walked up to the register to speak to the clerk.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At the sight of her, he bowed. “Your majesty.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She nodded gracefully with a smile, “Please, don’t bow.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The clerk nodded nervously, “Your majesty, what would you like?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Silena tucked a braid behind her ear, “Is it alright if you could find the tailor? The bodice is torn and I would do it myself but the palace just ran out of gold thread.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The clerk nodded quickly, bowed again, and disappeared into a backroom.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>To occupy the time, Silena looked around. She admired the beautiful garments and sheer wonder of the building itself. The outside was configured like a townhouse, keeping the same creamy ros</span>
  <span>è tint all the other buildings had. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had read somewhere that Aurora City was modeled after a place that used to be known as France. She could see the similarities.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After the clerk found the tailor she said thank you, causing the clerk’s ears to go bright red.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Silena sighed. There were many perks to being royal, but this was not one.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Charles</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Charles come home.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>When Charles stepped off the train, the bold smell of coffee hit him first. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The train station was bustling with people waiting to board the noisy, bronze and black train. The train was the first of many breakthroughs the engineers of the Kingdom of Builders had made.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Kingdom of Builders was a kingdom of smoke and fire. Factories, tar paved roads, and train tracks were what made up the kingdom. The signs of new buildings being created and old ones being torn down were evident on the scars on the ground, similar to the scars on most of the people’s hands. The noise of the train was constant, but comforting to Charles. It was a reminder of innovation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fond memories flooded Charles’ mind. He remembered sketching out the design for this train with his father.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Outside the station, the entire city gleamed with Celestial bronze accents, the unique metal offering protective properties that absorbed kinetic energy. The air seemed to shimmer with an unnatural bronze light. In the distance, the castle gleamed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Charles sighed quietly. He loved his kingdom, and he loved his people as Crown Prince, but they didn’t love him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The problem was Charles’ disposition. He was tall, and he looked like he could throw a grown man across a room. His face was usually set into a neutral expression, and many dignitaries had jokingly told him he was hard to read.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Despite his appearance, Charles was a natural peacemaker. He was a creator and a builder, happiest when with his inventions.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It would make him an amazing diplomat, but Charles had no interest in ruling the kingdom.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was quiet and he would rather observe the world, an analyzer. Charles was fully animated when he was inventing, building, and creating. He could spend the rest of his life that way. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He couldn’t help it. Deep down, he had always known he wasn’t destined to be king.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His mother had picked up on this, and she had been understandably disappointed. It was either him, his father’s son Leo, or their sister, Nyssa.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo was exactly like Charles. The only difference between them was that Leo was outspoken about his life goals. Charles envied him a bit, Leo wasn’t the Crown Prince, he had freedom.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nyssa would be perfect. She was bold, wise, and she would be the perfect queen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But she was a woman, and Charles’ mother had suffered much before finally being accepted as queen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It had already been agreed that if Charles couldn’t develop the skills needed of a king in five years, then the ceremony crowning Nyssa as Crown Princess would take place. Charles wasn’t sure if that was a relief or if that was giving the people an excuse to burn him at the stake.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Charles rubbed the cracked, weathered leather on his case while he walked to the palace. The black paved roads seemed to stretch endlessly, and the buildings stood up imposingly, secure and staring down like giants.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The closer he got to the palace, the more gleaming, bronze statues there were. There was one soldier on top of a fountain. One of a young couple was placed beside a shop. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>These statues were beautiful and life-like, and they were lethal.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The City of Bronze didn’t have a typical army. Those statues were really something Hephaestus had called “automatrons” They were animated statues with embedded codes to do anything. Charles’ father had made sure that they anticipated any sort of attack. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>As he approached the palace, he stood for a moment to gaze at it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was large and it was built like a wall. The palace was wide but not tall. Iron and bronze plates covered the massive doors in the shape of a dragon. Welded sheets of bronze were molded to look like flames coming out of the dragon’s mouth. Bronze accents covered the almost black stone of the castle, and the tops of the watchtowers held the waving flags of the kingdom flag, the gold dragon on a black background. The smoke from the chimney curled around the tops of the turrets in a serpentine manner, the gray-colored sky seeming stark against the dark stone of the castle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Charles was okay with the castle, it held his favorite place in the world.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He would only be home for a couple of hours before traveling with his mother to the Rose Kingdom for a summit. The leaders of the multiple kingdoms in Olympus were gathering to discuss how to deal with the </span>
  <em>
    <span>problem</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>For four years, there was a group of rebels that called themselves Titans. They were led by the former Crown Prince of the Trading Kingdom, Luke Castellan. They had been killing traders, merchants, and a couple dignitaries in hopes of cutting off supplies for each of the kingdoms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was imperative that the Kingdom of Builders be at this meeting as they created weapons, structures, and almost anything material. At the moment, the Kingdom of Builders and the Rose Kingdom were trying to form an alliance as the Rose Kingdom also worked in material and culinary products. They were also important in the war effort, as warriors under Queen Aphrodite had been lethal in battle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As he entered the palace, Charles sensed the automatrons scanning him, but he continued as always. They weren’t as unsettling as they had been before, the soft whir of their internal mechanisms working actually grounded Charles.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He put his hand to the stomach of the metal dragon on the doors, letting the tiny automatron scan his palm, and he heard a click, a pop, then the doors swung open.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The royal fanfare was played, almost deafening Charles, banners dropped from the defense wall, and royal training kicked in. Charles straightened his posture, raised his hand, and waved and he strode confidently. His strong exterior was merely a fad, though, because ten seconds later, the jeers started.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>leave a comment and let me know what you think!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Silena</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>I'm so sorry I haven't updated this! akjdnakj I have no excuses, I just forgot about it.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Today was the day of the summit.</p><p>Aphrodite was scrambling around, rearranging the bouquets, visiting the kitchens, and adjusting the banquet menu, tending to the pegasi. Silena could make out the tiny figure of her mother on the east terrace from the ground stables as she groomed her own pegasus, Rayla. </p><p>It seemed like a bad time to be doing this, but Rayla always seemed to calm Silena’s nerves when she was feeling nervous. The last time the Rose Kingdom had hosted a summit, Silena had been four years old. It was a huge deal when a kingdom was asked to host. It was determined by vote who would host the annual summit, and all the other kingdoms agreed here, as it might be the best place to discuss the issue at hand.</p><p>Silena rested her head on Rayla’s mane, “I haven’t done this before. Mother wants me to present a war plan in front of the Council, she said it would be good practice for when I’m the queen. Plus, the other heirs will be there and..” she trailed off.</p><p>Most would find it unusual to pour your heart out to a pegasus, but Silena had always done it. She had a special touch with the pegasi, and ever since she was a child she liked to spend her days in the stables, giving them all names and stories and dreaming of all the adventures she would have. </p><p>“Silena!”</p><p>Silena turned to see her sister, Piper, running toward her. Piper was trying (and failing) to sprint in a long, blue gown, resulting in a fall into the yellow hay.</p><p>“Are you okay?” Silena pulled her up and began to dust off the hay in Piper’s hair, gown, and...everywhere.</p><p>Piper nodded, trying to catch her breath. “Yeah, I’m fine. It’s just that Mother wants you to change and greet the kingdoms when they come in.”</p><p>Aphrodite was usually handing these tasks to Silena. Silena usually asked for them. They were amazing training for when Silena would actually be queen. Still, her anxiety spiked.</p><p>Strangely, it wasn’t the presentation that was worrying Silena the most. It was the possibility that she would have to see the heirs to the other kingdoms. They hadn't seen each other in years.</p><p>She knew she couldn’t hide in the stables forever, at some point she’d have to speak to them. The last time they’d all been together, there had been a huge fight. Silena had tried to keep the royal kids together, she’d tried to save the friendship, but everybody left.</p><p>Piper noticed her sister’s anxiety and pulled her in for a hug. </p><p>“Silena, it’s been two years since that fiasco. They’ve all matured, so have you. I mean, I know<em> I</em> have.”</p><p>Silena gave her a small smile and reached out to pluck a piece of hay out of her thick brown hair. </p><p>“You know, Mother will have a fit to see that you ruined your dress. She just bought it.”</p><p>“Wouldn’t be the first time,” Piper retorted with a smirk.</p><p>Piper, who was never one for royal customs, was training to join the Aphrodite Areia. It had taken some warming up to her on the side of the warriors, but Piper excelled in the group. Silena couldn’t be more proud of her.</p><p>This was technically Piper’s first mission as a warrior of the Aphrodite Areia. They were the queen’s elite task force and guards, so five of them would be present. Piper had earned her spot, and she hadn’t stopped talking about it for weeks after she beat Drew Tanaka in combat.</p><p>Silena couldn’t help but chuckle. She reached her hand out for Piper’s, squeezing it gently. Her eyes drifted to the tallest pale turret on the castle before dragging to the grounds below.</p><p>There was a bunker beneath the manicured earth. A bunker meant to withstand weapons of mass destruction. They were meant to preserve whoever could fit there in times of war, but Olympus had been in a time of peace for hundreds of years.</p><p>Until now, of course.</p><p>Silena’s feet took her into the castle, but her mind was already in that bunker. Was she ready to hear plans of war? Could she handle the pressure or would she combust because of it? Would she receive the opportunity to present her plans, and if she did, would they brush her off as a child? </p><p>Even worse, would they brush her off because she was a princess of the Rose Sector?</p><p>Despite the Rose Sector being home to the most lethal army in the greater kingdom, it was laughed off because of its peaceful, aestheticized way of life. The citizens valued inclusiveness and love in all its forms. Silena believed that if everybody lived that way, wars would not be an issue.</p><p>Not every sector thought the same as her.</p><p>Approximately two years ago, Queen Athena (of the Daedalian Sector) had sent spies into the Rose Sector to “check” that there were no traitors. There was no good reason why someone of the Rose Sector would betray the kingdom, so Athena had had an ulterior motive. Aphrodite had confronted her, and Athena had implied that the Rose Sector’s more “friendly” way of life was cause for suspicion of some sort.</p><p>Silena hadn’t wanted what had happened to define her friendship with the other heirs, more specifically, Annabeth Chase, but it had. They hadn’t been able to look at each other the same way again. A shy look had evolved into a screaming match between Piper and Malcolm, Athena’s eldest son. Annabeth had taken Malcolm’s side, Percy had taken Annabeth’s side, then everybody took Percy’s side.</p><p>And Silena was all alone.</p><p>Her heels made a sharp sound against the cream-marble steps of the Rose Palace. Piper had left to find the squad she would patrol with, leaving Silena to ascend to her room alone.</p><p>Last night, Silena had spent hours trying to choose an appropriate outfit. She surely would not be wearing a tulle gown at her very first war council. First impressions mattered, so Silena would have to present herself as serious for them to take her seriously.</p><p>She changed into a pair of dark, formal trousers and sliding on shined and buffed, military-grade boots. A clean, white collared shirt had been pressed the night before and was lying neatly on her bed beside a custom made jacket. The black jacket had a standing collar and bronze embroidery on its long sleeves and slim fit. Silena took care to button every shining bronze button as she slipped it over her shoulders. Her confidence rose. She had specifically designed it to resemble the jackets of visiting war councilors. </p><p>Silena looked at herself in her full-length mirror. She debated putting her braids up or keeping them down. She decided to style them into a sleek, high ponytail. </p><p>She straightened her spine and raised her chin. The girl in the mirror resembled a strategic, cool, and collected Crown Princess. <em> She </em> would not be spoken over, <em> she </em>would win the favor of the other royals.</p><p>Silena would give up everything she had to feel like that girl.</p><p>She checked the sensible watch she had slapped on. She had thirty-one minutes till she had to formally greet the other royals before the war council began. She was right on time.</p><p>Silena glanced at the mirror one last time. The gold-rimmed glass stared back. Her eyes drifted to her desk, where her late father’s pin sat. It was gold, molded into the shape of a dove, and it would clash with the bronze on the jacket terribly.</p><p>She pinned it on her jacket’s left breast and exited her room.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Silena had been standing in this spot for fifteen minutes. </p><p>The throne room was a grand affair. Tall, thick, pale columns separated the marbled floor from the high ceiling. A large, silver throne was in the center of the viewer’s line of vision. Behind the throne was a smaller one, Silena’s. </p><p>A mural was painted on the ceiling. It took up the whole space, and it had taken the artist six years. It depicted a battle. Soldiers were falling, fighting, leaping, and other various forms of action. It was chaos, it was war. In the center of it all, stood a woman with dark brown skin and a golden crown perched on flowing black hair. Her eyes were kind and her mouth was turned into a kind smile. She was holding a scarlet rose in one hand, and an unrolled scroll in the other.</p><p>It was a magic mural. It changed with the succession of the throne, and the woman was Silena’s mother.</p><p>Silena made a note to straighten her spine. Her ears ached for the sound of the royal fanfare, telling the castle that the other kingdoms had arrived. Maybe coming early was a mistake.</p><p>She began to pace absentmindedly, turning over her data in her mind. She would tell them of Luke Castellan’s last known locations? No, it was his technology. No, she would be speaking about his attack on Lord Eros, no it was-</p><p>The fanfare interrupted her scrambled thoughts. She quickly ran to stand in front of her mother’s throne. Back? Straight. Chin? Up. Face? Relaxed. Arms and hands? Behind her back, as they should be.</p><p>
  <em> She could do this, she could do this, she could do this. </em>
</p><p>Four of the Aphrodite Areia threw open the gilded doors of the throne room. Silena silently prayed that Athena and her gray-eyed children would not be escorted in first.</p><p>Piper marched in with the Areia, the black-iron staff she had earned just a week ago matched her new black and gold uniform. She gave her sister an excited thumbs up before taking her place to flank Silena’s right. </p><p>The separation of the Areia to flank either side of Silena revealed the sleek, flexible armor of the Emerald Islands. Silena mentally sighed in relief before putting on her queenly voice.</p><p>“Welcome to the Rose Sector, King Poseidon and Prince Perseus,” she declared, nodding at father and son. She bowed lowly, and the father and son copied her movement.</p><p>Perseus was still a carbon copy of his father. He had grown since she had last seen him. He was much taller than her now, despite being a year younger. His acne had cleared, leaving his golden-brown skin unspotted (Silena wished she were as lucky). His unruly black curls appeared to be brushed down, and a gold crown sat upon them. His sea-green eyes still gleamed with mischief. He waved at her, and hope rose inside her at the tiny gesture. Maybe the days of the summit would not be so bad.</p><p>King Poseidon was an older and taller version of Perseus. He had a trimmed beard and sun tanned skin. His golden crown was dotted with jewels. He subtly rested on his golden trident. It was taller than he was and an emerald was embossed in the center of it.</p><p>“I hope the journey was not too tiring,” She said kindly. </p><p>The king shook his head, “The journey was not tiring at all, Silena. Thank you for your hospitality in greeting us. The Emerald Islands extend a blessing to this Sector.”</p><p>She repeated the Olympian politely, the startling sound of the fanfare not allowing her to participate in small talk. The fact that he had not seemed fazed to see a teenager officially greeting his kingdom meant her plan had worked. Maybe she could do this.</p><p>Things went fairly smooth as the other twelve kingdoms entered the throne room. Queen Athena had only slightly narrowed her eyes at Silena’s petite figure greeting them into the palace, and Piper had only winked at Malcolm, causing his eyes to bug out at the sight of a princess standing with the guards. </p><p>The last kingdom to arrive was the Kingdom of Builders. From what Silena had seen on her visits, the Builders were a very private kingdom. They liked to indulge in independent research and creative exploits. They did not attend balls or other social events.</p><p>Their prince, Charles, was taller than King Poseidon. He had dark brown skin, close-cropped hair, and a blank expression settled on a handsome face. His dark eyes darted around the throne room, assessing it for structural damages or the actual queen. He was very introverted, but he was very nice from the few times they had spoken. Silena had never been friends with him, but she didn’t hate him.</p><p>The Rose Sector needed to form an alliance with the Building Kingdom if a war was ahead. The Rose Sector specialized in battle armor with unique properties. The armor of the Aphrodite Areia was lightweight, offered full protection, and could protect them from magical attacks.</p><p>Combined with the technology of the Kingdom of Builders, the soldiers of Olympus could be unstoppable.</p><p>Unfortunately, the Kingdom of Builders was among the long list of provinces that underestimated the Rose Sector. Silena had a plan, though, she would not let her kingdom down.</p><p>She cleared her throat, snapping out of her thoughts. She smiled at her “queenly” smile.</p><p>“Welcome, Queen Jasmine and Prince Charles. Now that we have all gathered, let us make our way to the war room. We have much to discuss on the first day of the summit.”</p><p>She turned on her heel, the Aphrodite Areia copying her movement and still flanking her sides. Silena could hear the footsteps of the various representatives. The group was much smaller. The guards of the other kingdoms were not allowed inside the sacred war room. </p><p>Silena cleared her throat as they stopped in front of a great tapestry. The Areia turned around, gesturing for the other royals to do the same. </p><p>The tapestry was grand, as every other work of art in the castle was. Embroidered, was a young couple. The taller woman in the picture had cool-toned brown skin and a long, white dress. The shorter woman had tanned skin and a golden empire-waisted gown. A wedding arch was overhead of the young couple, and they were happily gazing into each other’s eyes as white petals were thrown in their direction.</p><p>The tapestry was deceptively artistic. It was supposed to be because hidden in two spots behind it were unique locks. Silena reached for the golden gowned woman’s navel. A small click was heard, then Silena could feel a small, spherical object under her palm. She touched the rim of it, then pressed the left, right, top, and bottom symbols carved into it.</p><p>The same pattern but reversed was continued until the smallest circle in the middle revealed a symbol. Silena knew it well, it matched her bronze pin. She traced the dove, then grinned as the lock receded into the wall.</p><p>She repeated the same process for the lock on the calf of the dark-skinned woman. It took her a minute to unlock both, as she had spent hours practicing for weeks.</p><p>Silena spun around to face the other royals, slightly enjoying their surprise as the wall opened up to reveal a dark set of stairs. She could hear Piper’s snicker from her position. She smirked.</p><p>“Shall we begin?”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>it took me a really long time to figure out the name for Athena's sector because i would rather fall through a roof again than call her "the owl sector" or, worse, "the strategy" sector so yeah</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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